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THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE HOLY ORENIAN EMPIRE; Volume VI; Anne & Joseph


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THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE HOLY ORENIAN EMPIRE: Volume VI;

Anne & Joseph

 

Written by Justinian Nafis, heir to the County of Susa

 

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and

 

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Adolphus Gloriana, Earl of Suffolk, Prince of Sutica

 


 

Anne & Joseph

 

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“Your father made no vain boasts. He pretended to no great conquest. The constitution was upheld, and no great calamity befell the Empire.” - Reflections on State, Emperor Joseph II

 

The co-rule of Empress Anne and Emperor Joseph II was one of the greatest testaments to the new age of the Empire.

 

Joseph Clement de Sarkozy was born into the household of the Lord Protector on the 1st of Owyn’s Flame, 1731. Having been a natural-born scholar, the Lord Protector, in his wisdom, granted Joseph Clement a wide range of tutors on various topics: statecraft, court politics, fiscal policies, history, religion, and philosophy. Historically, in the Debate of the Hand and the Crown, Archchancellor Jonah ‘the Adunian’ remarked if Joseph Clement could tell the difference between a sword and a book (an Adunian proverb stating that warmongering and scholarship make the best man). Joseph Clement replied that he had never had formal training in commanding, but that he was wise enough to delegate to the finest generals of the day. 

 

During his childhood, the Lord Protector’s reign came to be paramount to the conscience of the Orenian psyche. All eyes in the governmental branches stared with glowing eyes to see who the successor would be. As such, Joseph Clement was forcefully drawn in many ways by various court advisors in an effort to gain favor over the young man. Despite this, the maturity displayed in the blessed child rejected such attempts to dethrone power from his father. Historical sources differ as to whether the events occurred, but men like Alfred Myre say that future Archchancellor Simon Basrid was so awestruck by the boy’s protestations at being used as a pawn, that he  proclaimed his eternal apologies for trying to use him, swearing never to do so again. While an elaborate story, the credibility is almost completely deniable. 

 

Eventually, the Lord Protector did die, and Peter III was crowned Holy Orenian Emperor. Much to no one’s shock, however, Peter III proclaimed his daughter, Anne Augusta, would be betrothed to Joseph Clement.

 

The Venerable Anne Augusta herself was born into the household of Peter III on the 12th of Owyn’s Flame, 1735. Raised directly by her father, as her mother’s frequent illnesses forced her absence, yet scorning the more frivolous attempts at hedonism, Anne Augusta was a saintly child that eventually transformed into that of a strong, masculine woman who led her country to greatness, but also displayed a virtuous motherly attitude towards her children.

 

Though the education of Anne Augusta is lost to the historical annals, the Venerable has a story attributed to her regarding a servant. There was a woman servant that had acquired an illness of the mind that was debilitating. The kind and pious Anne invoked such a godly power, when she touched the forehead of the servant, it cured the woman of the ailment. While this story is somewhat debated, Anne is currently undergoing an investigation into canonization by some priestly members.

 

Once Joseph Clement and Anne Augusta met in the imperial palace in Helena, a bond between both was fully sealed. Love at first sight led the two to be inseparable from here on out, and most decisions made by one usually had an opinion of the other. While these authors will not continually note this behavior, the reader should keep it in mind.

 

The major tragedy, as mentioned in the Petrine Empire volume, regarding the death of the Lord Protector sent shockwaves around the world. An attempt to capitalize on the Lord Protector’s death was pushed right after his death by Dima "the Elder" Tuvyic, a raev of little renown and honor. He attempted to push for an election for the title in order to usurp it for himself, going so far as to call a festival in order to stir the masses in favor of himself as well as enforce his reign with the use of Turkin guards harassing electors. 

 

Joseph Clement, having been encountered with some low-intrigue raev tactics such as that from the Pertinaxi Historia he studied in his youth, immediately pushed his own claim on the title during the election. Here, the oratory skills of Joseph Clement were first known, where he convinced thousands of serfs to elect him as Duke instead. The feminine Dima the Elder, who even hatched this plot to be elected himself, decided that as an elector, he would vote for Joseph Clement. After all the votes were cast, Joseph Clement was elevated to the Duke of Adria. Promptly, Duke Joseph dissolved the lands Adria had and exiled all of those with devious intent, like Dima the Elder and his Turkin warriors. 

 

When asked about his opinion on the Duchy of Adria controversy by the politician Evan Beckett, Duke Joseph is quoted as saying, "Sooner will the gates of the Void open and the Deceiver begin his attack than I will be free of the Raev menace."

 

After the Duchy of Adria controversy, Duke Joseph spent the remainder of his time living a peaceful life and serving dutifully as a civic man.. Much like his namesake, though the poems themselves have not been published to this day, Duke Joseph wrote many romantic poems dedicated to his beloved Anne. According to songs sung by bards around the realm, their love was on full display as both were consistently seen holding hands, kissing publicly, and professing their love for each other publicly. So great was their love that politicians within the Petrine Empire mocked the Duke, always in private, over his romantic affairs. Especially after the extravagance of their imperial wedding, rumors started to be said that Duchess Anne was the "man of the relationship" as Duke Joseph took a more feminine role in poetry . 

 

However, Duke Joseph scoffed at such rumors. He knew his place in society, and having been a man of law, his life ended up as a circuit judge. During a certain trial pertaining to a Helvets-Rochefort man, the man in question committed the trespassing into the household of Charles Napier. Charles Napier requested the execution of the Helvets-Rochefort much to the disgust of onlookers.. Duke Joseph, delivering his judgment, declared that the Helvets-Rochefort did trespass onto Charles Napier’s land, but he declared the judgment to be null and void because the city officials purposefully extended Charles Napier’s household too outward as to incur many of men with the penalty of trespassing. Having delivered his verdict, he personally paid Charles Napier a certain sum of marks for the affront and let the Helvets-Rochefort man go free. The non-corrupt city officials of Helena soon overturned the law.

 

After being elevated to Minister of Interior by Peter III for his righteous actions as circuit judge, Duke Joseph started a revitalization program stretching to the far off borders of Johnstown and Owynsburg. After several raev and kaedreni left the streets in ruin, Duke Joseph (even using more of his personal funds due to the lack of budget allocated to him), personally tried to revive both the Hanseti-Ruska lands and Kaedreni lands to the peak standards he deemed for the Empire. While both kingdoms tried to fight the reforms, Duke Joseph still continued to fight for the serfs who were deemed beneath many in the imperial administration. 

 

While less is known about Princess Imperial Anne Augusta, it is known she shadowed the majority of her father’s Empire. According to the lost passages of Augusta by former Archchancellor Franz de Sarkozy, Anne Augusta was pivotal in Peter III’s reign due to some politics she introduced. The policies, whatever they were, are not recorded in any official historia. 

 

Despite the fact that Anne Augusta took a less prominent role in government, it should not be understated how outright influential the duchess was. Almost a famous actor, wherever the Princess Imperial went, she was surrounded by crowds who adored her. Not once could the heir not be seen without such a populace, it is said by some historians she was Helena, for where she went, Helena followed. 

 

Also known for her piety and almost virginal nature, two saintly stories are recorded by the priest, Griffith of Gwynon, FSSCT (known to some as Gawain Briarwood). Firstly, Bishop Griffith of Gwynon reports that he received a large donation of upwards of one thousand marks by the Princess Imperial, who hid her force to avoid being known. Upon touching the priest, he was instantly cured of his ailment that befell and worsened his body. As he shot up with his renewed strength, he remarked, “Glory, glory, to the virgin’s vessel!” Despite the head covering, Anne Augusta’s face shined through like a ray of light. The other situation involved a simple fatherist beggar who, not realizing who they were stealing from, attempted to pickpocket the heir. In a sign of mercy and love, the Duchess gave away all of her belongings she held, being quoted as saying, “Had I have all of terra to give to you, I would.” Again, Saint Catherine watched over her student from above. The simple beggar renounced their oaths to the All-Father and was baptized on that day.

 

When inevitably Peter III passed from his ailment, the Duke and Princess Imperial assumed the throne, being crowned by High Pontiff James II as Joseph II and Anne I. The significance of the crowning, not only of the first woman Emperor being crowned, but also the naming to which Joseph II took cannot be understated. Being the first woman to ever rule the Holy Orenian Empire outright, Anne I is quite the “anomaly” in her own words. With succession laws changing to which allowed her to take the title of Empress, Anne is not only the first example of a ruler that is a woman, but also one that surpasses many in her ability. She ruled justly, rightly, and while some say she delegated much, she took actions to protect the Empire when she deemed fit. 

 

The beginning of Anne and Joseph’s reign looked bright. When they ascended to the throne, their six children- the Princess Imperial, Elizabeth Anne, the heir, John Charles, Philip Augustus, Juliette Caroline, Peter Maximillian, and Joseph Leopold were all active in the political and social life of the Empire. Additionally, the losses suffered during the Sutican War had mostly been recovered from, and thus the ISA and the Imperial administrative apparatus were functioning properly once again. However, two problems emerged from the east, both of which would plague the promising reign of the co-rulers.

 

The first of which is a matter that went unmentioned in the previous volume, as during the time of Peter III it was simply a minor affair. Demonic agents of Iblees, known as the Inferi, began to emerge in the Korvassa, a desert wastes far to the east of Arcas. While some scholars, both contemporary and later, believed that Sutican warlocks were responsible for this sudden invasion, others find no connection between the two. In 1779, Emperor Peter III joined the Firewatch Alliance, a group of powers dedicated to ending the Inferi invasion, but serious resources were not initially committed to the war, as the concurrent Sutican War was more pressing, and the Inferi assaults were generally smaller in scale. However, by 1785, most of the Korvassa had fallen into the hands of the demonic horde, and the cries for help from the region grew louder.

 

Closer to home was the problem posed by the Haseseni. Although the quarrelsome Sigismund II had been pushed aside with little consequence, the kingdom still held a deep-seeded resentment and mistrust of those in Helena. Fearing a future repeat of the Sutican War and continued resistance to Imperial reforms, the Emperor and Empress opened talks with Haense to see where common ground could be found. However, with the Haeseni government ready to oppose any measure of the Empire strengthening its control, perhaps due to the willingness of the other nations of Arcas to back a potential Haeseni rebellion, these talks went nowhere. While the Emperor, Empress, and Archchancellor Jonah Stahl-Elendil sought a more reconciliatory posture with Haense, two prominent members of the Council of State proposed a new idea: the expulsion of Haense from the Empire. The first was George Kovachev, a fat statesman and career bureaucrat whose hatred of the raevir surpassed even Emperor Joseph II’s. It was he who had originally come up with the idea of Haeseni expulsion, though some sources allege that the Basrid Ministry had begun discussions of it in the aftermath of the Sutican War. The second of these two was the Vice Chancellor, Franz de Sarkozy.

 

Franz Nikolai de Sarkozy was born on the 11th of Horen’s Calling, 1741, to Peter Victor de Sarkozy, brother of the late Lord Protector Adrian de Sarkozy, and Elizabeth Suffolk, one of the last descendents of the Archduke of Suffonia. Peter de Sarkozy had been a valued advisor to his elder brother, and his talents for finances caught the eye of the Basrid Ministry, who made him the Minister of the Treasury. While the Imperial Crown was nearly insolvent by 1743, it was Peter de Sarkozy who was able to miraculously turn around the financial situation and bring a surplus to the balance books. On account of his fame and station, the Minister of the Treasury was able to send the young Franz to a prominent school in Helena, where the boy was said to excel in his studies. At the age of fourteen, near the end of the Rubern War, Franz joined a small mercenary company led by his uncle, Sir Henry de Sarkozy, though with the war effectively over, he saw little action. At the official end of the war in 1760, Franz was offered a posting as a logistics officer in the ISA upon the recommendation of his father, who, according to Franz himself, was in awe of his talents and potential. Not one to turn down a good job, he accepted the posting. It was during this time that he came into some renown as an author. In 1760, he published his first work, Dinner at Karloman’s, which was met with acclaim and brought him to the attention of both the Basrid Ministry and the Josephite Party, where he made his political beginnings.

 

Always a pious man (it is said that the reason he never attended church was because he already knew the Scrolls like the back of his hand), Franz de Sarkozy was occasionally blessed with visions sent from God. When interviewed in 1803, Franz reportedly said that when he was named Vice Chancellor, he had a vision of a crow, a burning bush, and a hammer wrapped in a wreath of iron thorns. Seeing that Haense, Norland, and Urguan were soon to join forces, he believed that the only way to prevent a continental war was the forcible separation of Oren and Haense. Ever-loyal to Emperor Joseph, who was, after all, his first cousin, Franz wished to preserve the Empire’s internal stability at all costs. With he and George Kovachev united in thought, they then needed to convince the Archchancellor.’

 

Jonah Stahl-Elendil’s beginnings are clouded in mystery, though it is known that by the end of the Rubern War he had joined the ISA and risen through the ranks as an officer. It was here that he met Franz de Sarkozy, where he was immediately impressed by the boy’s piety, incorruptibility, and intellect. In a diary entry by the Adunian Archchancellor, it is said that that when he found a large stash of Imperial marks meant for supplies purchases under Franz’s bed in the barracks, the latter refused to take the money for himself, and instead returned it to the ISA treasury and personally conducted an investigation to find the thief responsible, though it turned up empty. 

 

Jonah himself, though by no means a genius, was popular with the common man and had many friends. Good-natured, yet savvy, he quickly rose through the Josephite ranks before eventually becoming the party chairman after the resignation of the esteemed Sir Konrad Stafyr. Championing a platform of justice for the common people and the economic revival of Helena, Jonah’s popularity made him the obvious choice for Vice Chancellor in the aftermath of the Sutican War, then Archchancellor after Simon Basrid had retired.

 

While Archchancellor Stahl-Elendil clearly disapproved of the Haeseni conduct during the war, and their resistance to Imperial reforms, he was reluctant to advocate for their expulsion. After many days and nights of fervent discussion, he was finally convinced of its necessity by Sarkozy and Kovachev, who were soon joined by the Emperor. With the entire cabinet in favor of Haeseni expulsion, the Empress was quick to agree, and on the 11th of Harren’s Folly, 1786, the Treaty of Helena was signed between Haesne and the Empire, which formally removed the Kingdom of Haense from the Empire, but established a peace and defensive pact between the two. Both sides seemed to have received the treaty well, as, in the words of Prince Peter Maximillian, the Count of Kaphro: “Even my divorce was less direly-needed than this.”

 

Although the expulsion of Haense was a defining moment for the dual-reign of Anne and Joseph, very little else of note happened until the great migration from Arcas in 1796. In light of the relative quiet over the decade from 1786 to 1796, these authors have resolved to give a brief overview of that period.

 

The differing attitudes and aptitudes of Anne and Joseph reveal within them their weaknesses, but also the strengths they possessed that complimented each other. Empress Anne was brave, beloved, and a warrior. She, the Princess Imperial Elizabeth, the heir, John Charles, the Duke of Helena, and her second son, Philip Augustus, the Duke of Crestfall, often led the ISA personally against the inferi, and embarked on several crusades to the Korvassa with the members of the Firewatch Alliance. It was there that they achieved a number of victories and helped contain the inferi menace within the lands of the Korvassa. However, when it came to domestic matters, the Empress had little knowledge and practical experience in matters of governance, save where foreign affairs were concerned. Fortunately, she knew her limitations, and would never rush to judgment before consulting her advisors, but at times this proved disadvantageous, for she could be indecisive and uncertain in moments that required action.

 

Emperor Joseph, on the other hand, was a genius in the matters of statecraft and government. He was well-read, multi-talented, and quickly grasped any subject that he wished to learn. Brilliant with the pen and well-spoken, it was he who aided in crafting, perfecting, and overseeing the various systems of the Petrine Empire from the Imperial Diet to the judicial system to the centralization efforts. However, he was also something of a recluse and rarely emerged from the confines of the Imperial palace. While he could speak clearly, authoritatively, and articulately during meetings of state, much as the Empress did in public speeches, he appeared to be gripped by shyness when before great assemblies. Fortunately, he knew his limitations, and would never resolve to play the part of a charismatic warrior-Emperor when the Empress fit the role better.

 

 

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A standard session of the Imperial Diet under Anne & Joseph, date unknown

 

Their strengths and shortcomings were apparent, and quickly the Imperial rulers knew how to divide the matters of state. In a display of trust rarely-seen between Emperor and Empress, the pair worked in concert, almost never interfering in each other’s respective realms, but also keeping frequent correspondence and communication to be aware of all that was happening. Empress Anne would meet with foreign delegations, stand before the people of the Empire, and lead the army against the inferi. Emperor Joseph would run the Imperial government, ensure the health and stability of its systems, and work with the Council of State to better the Empire from within. This arrangement worked well until the Empress’ death in 1800, and it was because of this that their co-reign was long, peaceful, and prosperous.

 

That is not to say, though, that no conflict was to be found. Throughout the time of Anne and Joseph, the Josephite Party won every election by a great margin. Their dominance was so cemented (the Everardines folded during this time, and subsequent political parties simply ran on anti-Josephite platforms while borrowing all other policies) that many began to allege the Josephites of cronyism and engaging in criminal activities. The “Josephite Mafia” became the thing of legends as every crime, irregularity, and questionable act was blamed on this seemingly omni-present, omnipotent body of criminals who had overtaken the government. Was this truly the case, though?

 

In examining over a thousand documents, diaries, warrants, dossiers, newspapers, and journals from the time, these authors have managed to piece together an accurate depiction of the criminal elements found within the Josephite Party. Much of the Josephite’s electoral success was owed to Illatians and Adunians, two quasi-human races that are known for their perfidiousness. Murder, election fraud, ballot tampering, bribery, and coercion was committed either by registered Josephites or known associates of registered Josephites, and it is commonly accept by historians that many of the lower-level members of the Josephites partook in criminal activity to some degree. However, among the higher ranks, few participated, let alone seemed aware, save for the Minister of the Interior (an Adunian), Padraig O’Rourke, the Count of Halstaig, who was thought by many to be the ringleader of the “Josephite Mafia.” While this cannot be confirmed, he was often named as a person of interest in a number of criminal cases.

 

For their part, the two leaders of the Josephite Party, Jonah Stahl-Elendil and Franz de Sarkozy, seemed unaware of what was occurring, though that did not stop accusations from being made. In what was the most infamous scandal of the Archchancellor’s career, several notables within the Josephites were accused by the prominent dark elf, Tanith Vursur, of having kidnapped and assaulted her. Among those implicated were the Vice Chancellor, the Count of Halstaig, the Baron of Woldzmir, Ostromir Tuvyic (Franz Sarkozy’s cousin and benefactor), and the Mayor of Helena, Dimitri Orlov. While all were eventually acquitted after an investigation by the Ministry of Justice, public opinion began to sour on the Josephite Party, and soon more parties emerged with the aim of bringing down the Josephites, though for now they would not have the organization and funding to compete with them.

 

Scandals aside, little else plagued the reign of Anne and Joseph upon Arcas, and the streets of Helena flourished, the ISA remained strong, and the government functioned smoothly. However, this would change in 1792 as the Inferi War was brought to a conclusion, and the more horrifying aftermath reared its head.

 

By 1790, the Firewatch Alliance had defeated the last inferi incursion against mainland Arcas and were now retaking a string of forts within the Korvassa. Every month they pushed further inwards, until, by 1792, the final battle could commence. After a day’s hard fighting, the inferi were pushed towards a great pit containing within it a giant egg taller than even the great towers of Haelun’or, supposedly brought upon the world by Iblees himself. It was here, at this critical juncture, that a demon emerged from a crack in the ground and began to do battle with the descendants, tearing through their ranks. Just as all seemed lost, the skies opened, and a golden light poured through the dark clouds that blackened the landscape. From here emerged the spirit of Corwin von Alstreim, wreathed in a laurel of crimson leaves and bearing a sword crafted from a star. Announcing that he had been sent by God to turn the tide of battle, he clashed swords with the demon, quickly defeating and beheading it. With the cheers of the Firewatch armies propelling his flight, Corwin proceeded to summon a spear of sunlight, which he flung at the egg, piercing it and destroying the devil-in-creation within. The Inferi War had been won, and the threat against Arcas now seemed finished. However, in just a few years time, those hopes would be dashed.

 

As the armies of the ISA, led at the head by Empress Anne, returned to the Empire, they were greeted by a great procession and parade organized by Emperor Joseph himself. Nothing went amiss as the week was dedicated to games, feasting, celebration, and festival. The future looked bright, as now peace reigned, and attention could be focused towards domestic affairs. However, over the next year, a number of disasters ripped across Arcas. First, a torrent of blood flooded the continent, rendering many of the rivers and streams unusable. Then, a volcano in the Korvassa exploded, destroying the towns and cities there. Finally, a series of earthquakes ruptured through nearly every known nation on Arcas, causing great damage and killing many. In Helena a great fire broke out, and although it was put out, nearly a fifth of the city had been destroyed.

 

A year later, the first fire would pale in comparison. On the morning of the 5th of Harren’s Folly, 1794, the citizens of Helena (along with every other city in the known world) would awake to be greeted by a darkened sky, with ripples of vermillion accenting it. Survivors’ accounts say it looked as if the magma of the earth had replaced the vapors of the sky. A great panic struck each of these cities, which would only grow as meteors shot from above, indiscriminately hitting buildings, farms, people, trees, whatever was unlucky enough to be in their path. Helena was devastated, and the Empress, Emperor, and their government were only barely able to escape the hell that had overtaken their beloved capital. The surviving citizens of the Empire were told to head north, around the Curonian Province, where the great star fort that had been constructed there would serve as the capital. While the Empress and the Archchancellor organized the fleeing Orenians in Curonia, the Emperor and the Vice Chancellor took command of the Imperial Navy and made preparations for an Empire-wide evacuation from Arcas.

 

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The destruction of Helena during the Arcan Disaster, 1796

 

The following months in Curonia were difficult, but by the winter of 1792, the Imperial Navy was well-supplied for a long voyage. The Imperials boarded on the vessels, said goodbye to Arcas, and set off. It would be two years until they reached Almaris, but through intermittent stops at small islands, coordination with other fleeing vessels from Arcas (flight operations were conducted by virtually every nation), and the determination of the Emperor and Empress, they survived and persisted. When they finally reached Almaris, landing on the eastern shores, it was said that the people of Oren wept and kissed the ground as they leapt from their boats, overjoyed to see dry land again.

 

The construction of a new capital, the claiming of new territories, and the allotment of land to various individuals soon began. The operation was a resounding success, and within a matter of a year, the great capital, Providence, had been erected and a great swath of land had been claimed and settled in the name of the Empire. In the north was the great forest of Grenz, with Dobrov serving as its main city. In the west were the jungles of the Pale, with Aldemar serving as its main city. In the south were the great, rolling plains of the Lower Petra, with Redenford serving as its main city. Eventually, Arentania, housing the Adunians of Halstaig, would be settled to the far west, although this would not come until later in the sole reign of Joseph II. 

 

For the next four years, the settlement and organization of Imperial lands on Almaris went by quickly and with few difficulties. By 1799, Jonah Stahl-Elendil, deciding that his seventeenth year as Archchancellor would be his last, publicly announced his impending retirement after the upcoming Election of 1800. This election, which would prove to be one of the closest and important elections in the history of the Petrine Empire, pitted the incumbent Josephite Party, now led by Franz de Sarkozy, against the newly-formed National Party, which had been born out of the Commonwealth Club, the premier social and intellectual club in Providence, led by the Minister of the Treasury, Ledicourt d’Azor and George Kovachev. While few differences could be found between the two parties, and d’Azor and Kovachev had been Josephite allies in the Stahl-Elendil Ministry, the slanderous libel flung against Sarkozy had prompted a strong opposition.

 

In the months leading up to the Election of 1800, the respective campaigns of the Josephites and Nationals grew fiery, and soon mobs supporting both parties took to the streets. On one occasion, as relayed by Franz Sarkozy in his memoirs, several National supporters surrounded him and threatened to kill him. Sarkozy, unfazed, gave a coherent and logical argument as to why killing him would be of great detriment to the Empire, which brought the men to tears. They apologized to the Vice Chancellor and forsook political violence, and took up postings as minor Josephite party affiliates in the countryside. Not all occasions were bloodless, though, and the newspapers were filled with stories of violent clashes and brawls. During the principle debate between Sarkozy and Kovachev on the 9th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1799, an event that drew over nine thousand spectators, a sizable retinue of ISA soldiers had to be posted to ensure order was kept. Thankfully, no violence was had that day, and the debate was considered one of the greatest of the time.

 

The Election of 1800 drew one of the greatest voter turnouts in Imperial history, surpassing even some of the Senate elections of Peter III. However, when the final votes were tallied, neither the Josephites nor Nationals had secured a decisive majority, as around a dozen seats had fallen to a number of smaller regional parties. Distrustful of these ambitious politicians, and recognizing the talent that both parties possessed, the Josephites and Nationals agreed to form a coalition, beginning a tradition of Josephite-National coalition governments that would remain until the dissolution of the Imperial Diet under Philip II. Franz Sarkozy would ascend to Archchancellor while Ledicort d’Azor would be named Vice Chancellor, and the Council of State would be divided between their two parties. The Empire as a whole was overjoyed on the occasion, as now factional rivalries could be put aside and a united front could focus on strengthening Oren. However, before the new unity government could act, tragedy struck.

 

On the 20th of Horen’s Calling, 1800, Empress Anne was found dead in her chambers, having passed peacefully in her sleep that night. The Empress had been complaining for months of a pain in the breast along with accompanying rashes. Assuming it was a pox, she had taken to retiring early and offloading some of her official duties to the Emperor. Doctor’s visits were frequent, but it was assumed that the condition was treatable. However, this was not the case, and with the Empress’ death, so too did a piece of the soul of the Empire die. Beloved by her subjects and a symbol of Oren’s cultural peak, Empress Anne was widely-mourned from Haense in the north to Sutica in the south. It is said that at her funeral procession, a crowd larger than any army that the known world had seen gathered to see her delivered to the Imperial crypts.

 

With Anne’s death, an unfillable void formed not only in the Empire, but also in Joseph’s heart. Having ruled and lived with her for many years, the widower Emperor was now forced to shoulder the burdens of the throne alone. Though he did not slip into reclusion, his public visits were far less frequent, and his rule was conducted distantly- from the confines of the Augustine Palace. While he would continue to do so competently and ably until the end of his life, it was said that never again did a smile grace his face. 

 

It would not be long before the first challenge to Emperor Joseph’s sole-rule emerged. In 1802, the steadfast Pontiff James II, a like minded friend and confidant of the Emperor, passed away after a tenure of forty nine years, the longest Pontificate to date. A stabilizing, well-respected, reform-minded force in the Church, the High Pontiff’s passing dealt a severe blow to the power and reach of the Church. The subsequent Pontifical election saw the controversial Cardinal Albarosa, a former Kaedreni who had been heavily involved in local politics in the region, ascend as High Pontiff Owyn III in a similarly-controversial election. Regarded as a schemer steeped in vice, Owyn III was reviled by nearly all the canonist states of Almaris, and soon whispers of a schism began to foment from within and without the Church. His tenure as Pontiff, though not as wretched as others depict, was mired in controversy as he attempted to reverse some of the liberal reforms of James II, which at times required the direct violation of Canon Law, and return the Church to its more conservative roots.

 

Himself a devout Canonist and the Fidei Defensor, the Emperor had no desire to entertain the growing protests and demonstrations against the new High Pontiff, and he ordered the ISA to crack down on any dissent directed at the Church. While this succeeded for a time, it was evident to all, especially those in the Council of State, that the movement to officially depose Owyn III would only grow. Secret channels were made with the Kingdom of Haense to discuss the possibility of a joint Orenian-Haeseni deposition of Owyn III, but King Joseph I saw no reason to act, and promptly refused any agreement to enthrone a new Pontiff.

 

An opportunity would come on the 5th of Horen’s Calling, 1806, when King Joseph I of Haense suddenly died of a heart attack. His son, the young Henry II, was a brash, impulsive boy who fervently despised Owyn III and wished to see a Haeseni-aligned clergyman ascend to the Pontifical throne. When Cyril Cardinal St. Publius and Father Dima of Dobrov, the two primary leaders of the movement against Owyn III, called for a trial against the High Pontiff, King Henry II eagerly offered Karosgrad as the location. Over in Providence, Emperor Joseph had no wish to spearhead the proceedings himself, and was grateful that Karosgrad was to be the location of the trial. However, despite his piety, he also prudently believed that the best way forward for the faith was for the Canonist Princes to be united. Unable to attend himself due to his advanced age, he sent Archchancellor Sarkozy and a retinue of ISA soldiers to attend the Diet of Karosgrad and see that Oren and Haense were unified in their decision.

 

On the 12th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1807, the assembled clergy of Canonist Realms, the soldiers of both the HRA and the ISA, and many thousands of spectators gathered around and within the Basilica of Saint Henrik to spectate the Diet of Karosgrad. Sat above them all was Franz Sarkozy and King Henry of Haense, who both whispered between each other furiously during the events of the trial. Curiously, the High Pontiff himself was not in attendance, and rumors swirled that he, knowing that his sins and corruptions of office would be brought to light, had chosen to flee and avoid punishment. Despite his absence, the trial commenced, and for hours the supporters and opposition of Owyn III argued bitterly. When the trial drew to a close, and a vote of conviction was held, the High Pontiff was found not guilty by a slim margin. With the results presented before them, the Imperial Archchancellor and the King of Haense took to a side room to discuss what they were to do.

 

The following events of the now-dubbed “Massacre of Karosgrad” are hotly-debated. With conflicting primary and secondary sources, these authors have resolved to present the three most prominent versions of what occurred.

 

The first, relayed primarily by Imperial citizens in attendance, states that after the two men had finished their deliberation, the King of Haense emerged solely to announce that the Empire and Haense rejected the Pontificate of Owyn III, and demanded his deposition. The Imperial Archchancellor, it is said, was reluctant to officially order the deposition of Owyn III, as the man was his former father-in-law, and so he simply nodded in agreement with the Haeseni King. When the supporters of Owyn III refused to leave the basilica, Henry II ordered the HRA to arrest them, which soon turned into a slaughter. Franz Sarkozy, following the Emperor’s desire to support Haense, reluctantly ordered the ISA to join the HRA, but to refrain from killing any clergymen. However, a rogue terrorist inside the town square detonated an explosive, killing several citizens and clergymen, including Father Dima of Dobrov, which brought the massacre inside the basilica to a stop.

 

The second account, told primarily by HRA soldiers and Haeseni citizens, is relatively similar, though it asserts that the Imperial Archchancellor was more active in his support of the King of Haense, and that it was actually the former who first announced the deposition of Owyn III. As Father Dima of Dobrov was Sarkozy’s son-in-law, it is argued that the Archchancellor was ready and willing to support his kinsman’s endeavors. He ordered his ISA retinue to assist the HRA in arresting the resisting clergymen, but soon, in the confusion that had grasped the basilica, the peaceful arrests soon became a series of brutal killings both inside and outside of the church. Many clergy were indiscriminantly killed in the slaughter, including Father Dima of Dobrov.

 

The third account, told by ISA soldiers and a handful of anti-Owyn III clergy, states that the Archchancellor and King Henry II agreed on deposing the High Pontiff and decided to divide their responsibilities. Sarkozy would instruct King Henry on how to announce the deposition of Owyn III and ensure that all clergy in support of them would be escorted out of the basilica. Meanwhile, the King would issue the official announcement of deposition and ensure any non-compliant clergy were arrested. The plan initially went off without a hitch, but it is said that outside, a leaky crate of oil was hit by a lamp dropped by a spectator, causing a great explosion which killed many in the square of Karosgrad, including Father Dima of Dobrov. Believing that a counter-attack by the Pontifical Guard was being conducted, the soldiers of the HRA and ISA panicked, killing several clergy inside of the basilica.

 

1gcaBICaGR0XNfSks3Teotbi1xR_kHwbB12lqSafUa54a5yGaglMgM8sQr2TngVN383u5nQf3Vp7GaVM3iGQR8ZTTaWGTvQTPu0snGs2kXQbjgD8xs3MEx0zN3c6Ibbpm1GVSdVxtO7XTTei_eCPvppDGlMgvPlxB0VoZ8K0s4HDAVv01_ihyB3Xdw

The massacre of Karosgrad, carried out by HRA and ISA forces, 1807

 

Regardless of the true nature of events, the Diet of Karosgrad would live down in infamy. Although the Empire and Haense had successfully deposed Owyn III, the stain of killing unarmed clergy loomed over the two Canonist Princes. The Emperor himself was outraged upon hearing the news of the Massacre of Karosgrad, and for a moment considered ordering the reinstatement of Owyn III, but eventually relented, knowing that such an act would divide the Canonist world. Instead, he agreed to oversee the new Pontifical elections, which resulted in the moderate and reasonable Cardinal St. Julia ascending as High Pontiff Jude II. 

 

For the next four years, Joseph II’s reign was peaceful and prosperous. Although Providence did not flourish as Helena once had under Peter III, the city was still the greatest on Almaris, and it was said that the streets never lacked the vigorous life expected of an Imperial capital, nor did the functions of government stall and wither. The Sarkozy Ministry sent expeditions westwards, over the Arentanian Mountains, and financed several settlements, outposts, and farms in what was now called the Oltremont, which further expanded the Empire and increased its tax revenues.

 

One prominent family given significant tracts of land was the de Joannes family. Descendents of Robert de Joannes, the younger brother of Emperor Alexander II, this former Imperial dynasty had reemerged into Orenian politics with a fervor. Led by Louis de Joannes, the family began to attend court functions, dine with other members of the nobility, and provided substantial donations to the Church and Crown. Backed by the Bishop, Castile, and Hartcold families, the Joannes’s were able to gain the favor of Emperor Joseph II and obtain the Barony of Sedan in 1809. From there, they built a great fortified manor and created a military order of dubious legality, the Goats of Sedan.

 

House Joannes was not the only once-great house to return to prominence. The de Falstaffs, having faded into obscurity after the death of Conrad, the Count of Leuven, were able to engage in some profitable land speculation out in the Oltremont. With these great funds, the head of the household, Emil-Dardot, was able to afford a fine estate out in the eastern reaches of the Lower Petra near the coast. The Emperor, himself a lover of Josephite history, could not neglect the opportunity to become the patron of one of the great dynasties that supported Joseph Marna. In 1808 he restored the County of Leuven to the Falstaffs by granting it, along with additional lands, to Emil-Dardot.

 

A third house, though not yet to restore itself to the position it once held, was the de Savoies. After the defeat of House d’Amaury in the Lorrainian Revolt of 1729-1730, the small Savoyard population of the Empire had scattered across the inhabited world, disunited and without a leader. Now, though, a man with the potential to reunite the Savoyards had emerged: Olivier Renault de Savoie, the future Prince Olivier I of Savoy. Born into poverty in the Holy Orenian Empire, Olivier Renault had joined the ranks of the ISA from a young age, soon ascending the ranks due to his talent and wits. In 1808, the young Olivier Renault had caught the attention of many disparate Savoyards throughout Almaris, who began to flock into Providence to join the ISA and look to the promising young Savoie as a future leader. Although he asked for no lands and titles, and was not given any, he was soon noticed by the Emperor and the Council of State.

 

However, the Emperor’s generosity would soon come back to haunt him. While most of the nobility within the Empire, from the Dukes of Cathalon in the Lower Petra, to the Barons of Woldzmir in the Grenz, had grown accustomed to the gradual reduction of noble privileges, those Imperial families that had lost their station during the Time of Troubles had not been reconciled to the new order. In the south, the new Count of Leuven began to form a coalition of nobles, ostensibly to support each other in the management of their estate and coordinate in the Diet. Meanwhile, the Goats of Sedan had stirred up trouble within Providence after inciting a feud with the Emperor’s grandson, Prince Robert Francis of Crestfall, who was said to be so greatly deformed and inbred that he did not even know he was insulting them, which earned them the ire of the Imperial Court. They further alienated the army when, after a meeting with the Archchancellor and General Peter d’Arkent, they refused to be integrated into the ISA’s command structure.

 

By this time, whispers were growing of a possible rebellion being launched against the Crown. Correspondence uncovered between the Count of Leuven, Olivier de Savoie, the Baron of Sedan, and Robert Helvets, the Baron of Helvets and cousin of the Duke of Cathalon, revealed that the three men chafed under the new Imperial order. Believing that the responsibility of the nobility ought to be increased for the sake of the Empire, they agreed to support each other in the bid to expand the rights and privileges of the nobility and restore them to what had been enjoyed under Alexander II. While no direct communication related to rebellion has been found, the fact that these four would end up being some of the central leaders of the Sedan Rebellion leaves little to be questioned.

 

By 1811, it was evident that the actions of the conspirators had become too much for the Crown. In a private meeting between Louis de Joannes and the Crown Prince of the Empire, the Duke of Helena, John Charles, the latter begged the Baron of Sedan to disband the Goats and tell his young, fiery followers to submit themselves to Imperial Law and join the ISA. The Baron of Sedan, believing that the Duke of Helena’s words were simply a ploy for him to surrender what power he had and crush any movement of unity among the nobility, refused. When the Emperor received word of this meeting, he, the Duke of Helena, and the Archchancellor agreed that swift action was needed to contain a possible uprising. On the 14th of the Sun’s Smile, 1811, the Emperor issued the Proclamation of 1811, stripping House de Joannes of their lands and titles, banning the Goats of Sedan from the realm, and demanding that House de Joannes and their allies come to Providence to stand trial. With official approval from High Pontiff Jude II, it seemed that the plot was to be stopped in its tracks.

 

At first, it seemed that the Emperor’s plan would be executed without a hitch. Still in the process of convincing the nobility to join their movement against the Crown’s centralization efforts, the Baron of Helvets and the Count of Leuven were quickly caught and arrested by nobles still loyal to the Empire. Emil-Dardot, having readily turned himself in, was simply confiscated of his title and exiled from the realm; Robert Foltest, though, was slated to stand trial.

 

With their allies in the Lower Petra having been neutralized and having been blindsided by the Emperor’s proclamation, the Baron of Sedan and Olivier Renault scrambled to put together an effective resistance. As Olivier Renault’s role in the conspiracy had not been uncovered, he was able to linger in Providence for a few more weeks, but as suspicions against him mounted, he decided to lead his large band of Savoyard followers out west to link up with Sedan. In the middle of the night on the night of the 2nd of Harren’s Folly, 1811, Olivier and his band of Savoyards, supposedly numbering in the hundreds, fled Providence without being detected. When morning came, the officers of the ISA were shocked to find that a substantial portion of their ranks had been depleted. Now aware that the conspiracy was larger than had been assumed, Emperor Joseph formed the Committee on Public Safety, which invested emergency powers in the Archchancellor, General Peter d’Arkent, and Iskander Basrid, the Count of Susa and a promising young captain in the ISA, in order to put down a possible rebellion.

 

The Committee on Public Safety moved quickly, sending the Count of Susa and Vice Chancellor Ledicort d’Azor to review the Empire’s defenses in the Lower Petra. General d’Arkent, meanwhile, began to assemble an army in Providence and ensure the city’s defenses could withstand a possible attack. The Archchancellor, having senior authority, took overall charge and began the process of uncovering and arresting rebel sympathizers within Providence. Two of these men, Caius de Joannes and Conrad Nicholas de Falstaff, were caught and summarily executed. Both the Sedanian Rebels and Liberals within the Empire decried the lack of a fair trial, one of the three ‘Rights of Man’ afforded in the ORC, but the Archchancellor argued that the circumstances necessitated quick, decisive action, which long, complicated legal proceedings would hinder.

 

Enraged at the execution of his son, the Baron of Sedan ordered his eldest son and heir, Alexander, to lead a force down to Southbridge to take it. Southbridge, guarding the southernmost passage into the Empire, was a critical trading post and fortification. To take it would mean to cut off Imperial merchants from their lucrative revenues to the south, which would hopefully put pressure on the Crown to give in to Sedan’s demands for the restoration of their lands and titles and greater autonomy for the nobility. Despite Olivier Renault and his Savoyards having yet to reach Sedan, Alexander de Joannes did not want to lose the opportunity to take Southbridge, so he set out prematurely with twelve-hundred men primarily drawn from House Joannes, House Castile, and House Bishop, though some sources have this count as high as two-thousand, finally reaching the fort on the 12th of Harren’s Folly, 1811.

 

Unfortunately for the Sedanians, the Count of Susa and Vice Chancellor d’Azor had already reached Southbridge two days earlier with a contingent of seven-hundred men, bolstering the one-thousand man garrison at Southbridge. Not wishing to turn back, and confident that his men’s skill vastly outmatched that of the ISA’s, Alexander de Joannes took to open battle, which would prove ill-advised. At the Battle of Southbridge, on the 13th of Harren’s Folly, 1811, the Sedanian forces were decisively defeated by the ISA under the Count of Susa, whose brave, masterful command drove the rebels back to the Oltremont and kept Southbridge from being captured. Upon hearing the news of his son’s defeat, the dismayed Baron of Sedan knew that he would be unable to force a quick, easy settlement from the Empire. Thus, on the 25th of Harren’s Folly, 1811, he declared independence from the Holy Orenian Empire and crowned himself as the Prince of Sedan.

 

Despite this bold gesture of defiance, the course of the Sedan Rebellion would not go in his favor. For the rest of 1811, the Count of Susa and his subordinates led a swift campaign across the Oltremont, wiping out small bands of rebels and thoroughly defeating raiding parties sent from Sedan. One famous incident came when Captain Caspian d’Arkent, grandson of General d’Arkent, led one-hundred freeriders to surround and capture a force of three-hundred levymen of House Bishop attempting to raid Southbridge, a deed that earned him his knighthood. Captain d’Arkent did not lose a man in the affair, and one of Sedan’s most prominent vassals was effectively knocked out of the war. By the beginning of 1812, the Count of Susa’s small ISA force had reached within fifty miles of the de Joannes Manor.

 

Knowing that his rebellion was doomed if he could not force a quick end to the war, Louis de Joannes authorized a daring raid against Providence to be led by Olivier de Savoie. Mustering the last of the Sedanian reserves, and bolstered by the newly-arrived Savoyards, Olivier Renault set out with thirteen-hundred men, intent on striking Providence on the 17th of Godfrey’s Triumph, when the trial of Baron Robert Helvets was scheduled to take place. Having received word of this incoming raid force, General d’Arkent prepared the defenses of Providence and recalled his grandson to help take charge. However, knowing that this final gamble from the Sedanians was being conducted by a paltry force, he ordered the Count of Susa to continue his offensive into the Oltremont.

 

On the morning of the 17th of Godfrey’s Triumph, 1812, as the citizens of Providence awoke and began to stream into the courthouse to attend the trial of the Baron of Helvets, the alarm bells rang across the city. Over the horizon, the banners of House de Joannes, House de Savoie, and House Castile flew, marking the arrival of the rebel raiders. Despite his advanced age and onset of illness, General d’Arkent and his grandson, Caspian, personally led a force of two-thousand ISA soldiers to the walls to meet the rebels. For hours the two sides did battle as the citizens of Providence, the Emperor and Archchancellor among them, took to the towers and skyscrapers of the city to oversee the battle. At the height of the battle, when it appeared that Olivier Renault and a few of his men had successfully scaled the walls and were soon to enter the Bastion, Franz Sarkozy bypassed the suspended trial and ordered the immediate execution of Robert Helvets to ensure that he would not fall into enemy hands. 

 

When word reached the rebel attackers that the Baron of Helvets had been slain, many of them lost heart and began to waver. Beleaguered, worn thin, and on the verge of breaking, the Sedanian army was soon forced back from the wall after a well-concentrated push led by Captain Caspian. Knowing that a slaughter faced him and his men if they did not flee, Olivier Renault sounded for a retreat, narrowly escaping along with four-hundred of his soldiers back to Sedan. As soon as the final Sedanian banner could no longer be seen in the distance, the city broke out into celebration. The Emperor ordered a great feast to be held, and the victorious Imperials.  

 

 

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The flight of the Sedanians after the Battle of Robert’s Folly, 1812

 

The Battle of Robert’s Folly would prove to be the last significant engagement of the war. When Louis de Joannes received word of this final defeat, it is said that he lost hope in any possibility of victory. On the 6th of Sigismund’s End, 1813, as the Imperial army was closing in on Sedan, Prince Louis and his remaining supporters chose to burn their manor and flee southwards, towards Urguan (it has been rumored that Urguan was secretly funneling men and supplies during the war). Olivier Renault, displaying a hatred of dwarves that would come to mark the rest of his life, took his few Savoyards and trekked further west, eventually founding the city of Luciensburg on the plains of the Westreach.

 

With the burning of Sedan Manor came the end of the rebellion. The final rebel holdouts were swiftly captured, and on the 14th of Horen’s Calling, 1813, the Archchancellor announced the Empire’s victory over the rebels. While the war had lasted two years, leaving much of the Oltremont in ruins, the rest of the Empire was jubilant at the victory and was not left reeling from its effects. The war had been won decisively with little loss of life for the Empire, and the nation had shown the capability it possessed when unified. For the rest of his reign, Emperor Joseph faced no great issues from within, and the full project centralization that had begun with his father-in-law had been finished. The final feudal elements within the Empire had been completely eradicated. 

 

The rest of his reign, however, would prove to be short. In the dwindling months of the Sedan Rebellion, Emperor Joseph had increasingly delegated the powers of the Crown to the Duke of Helena, preparing him for the responsibilities of the office. Of greatly advanced age, nearly-blind, and bound to a litter, the Emperor stayed confined within the Augustine Palace, delegating what orders he needed to from there, but generally allowing the functions of the Imperial government to continue. It was around this time too that the Archchancellor announced his future resignation, which would come two months after the Emperor’s death. Life in the Empire fell still, for it seemed all were preparing for the inevitable end of an era.

 

That end came during the evening of the 23rd of the Sun’s Smile, 1814. Emperor Joseph, having fallen into a fever two weeks before, had retired to his bedchamber. He permitted only close friends, family, and his personal chaplain to visit him during his final days. It is said that to each he conferred a piece of advice, though he also bound them to secrecy, and thus almost nothing of what he said is known. The sole exception is his final work, Reflections of State, addressed to his son, the Duke of Helena. In it, he tells his son that the Age of Heroes, a time defined by great men performing great deeds, has given way to the Age of Man, a new era that is defined by the will and energy of the masses. He instructs his son on how to reign in these changing times, encouraging a more distant, liberal approach to governance than what has been standard. Finally, he reflects back on the life he lived and the reign he had, remarking positively that his reign was quiet and peaceful, and because of that it was good.

 

On the morning of the 23rd of the Sun’s Smile, the Emperor, now fading into the beyond, was given his final rites. For a few more hours he stirred, occasionally accepting water dripped from a cloth, but otherwise not taking visitors. By midday he uttered his final recorded words: “Anne, we have succeeded.” By the time night came, Emperor Joseph II had finally passed away, joining his wife after fourteen years without her. He was eighty-two years old when he died, and had ruled the Empire for a total of thirty-two years.

 

The co-reign of Anne and Joseph is a moment that has never been seen before in Imperial history and shall never be seen again. Their reign marks the first time a woman held the Imperial throne in her own right, as well as the first time the Crown was held equally by two individuals. This sharing of the Crown would prove to be their greatest benefit, as the Imperial monarchs perfectly complemented the other. Even within the domains of erstwhile enemies of the Empire, the co-reign of Anne and Joseph is held in high esteem; Empress Anne is seen as one of the most beloved individuals to sit the throne, while Emperor Joseph is regarded as one of the wisest. Through their efforts, they not only continued, but saw through the Petrine Reforms that had begun with Emperor Peter III and Simon Basrid. Although their liberal sentiments may have been misguided, any scholar must respect their ability to perfect a dynastic vision.

 

Although Empress Anne’s passing left a great void in the Empire, and the subsequent sole-reign of her husband cannot be said to have been as stable, Emperor Joseph was able to see their dream to completion and ensure the functions of state did not experience any significant stagnation or decay. Despite his mild mistakes that laid the groundwork for the Sedan Rebellion, the Emperor humbly recognized his faults and competently guided the Empire through the conflict, ending it quickly, decisively, and without losing a single engagement. By the time of his death, the Imperial coffers were full, the political violence that had grasped the Empire for several years had subsided, and the loyalty of the Imperial subjects was absolutely secured. While Emperor John VIII's reign would quickly be tested, it would come from the outside, and the internal strength of the Empire would ensure that he had ample resources to meet the coming challenges.

 

Vale, Anne ‘the Ruby of the Empire’

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12th of Owyn’s Flame, 1735-20th of Horen’s Calling, 1800

(r. 14th of Sun’s Smile 1784-20th of Horen’s Calling, 1800)

 

Vale, Joseph II ‘the Erudite’

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1st of Owyn’s Flame, 1731-23rd of Sun’s Smile, 1814

(r. 14th of Sun’s Smile 1784-23rd of Sun’s Smile, 1814)

 


O Ágioi Kristoff, Jude kai Pius. Dóste mas gnósi ópos sas ékane o Theós. Poté min afísoume na doúme to skotádi, allá as doúme móno to fos tis sofías kai tis alítheias. O Theós na se evlogeí.


 

The reign of Emperor John VII and the 10th Nordling War shall be covered in our next volume of The Decline and Fall of the Holy Orenian Empire

 

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"A wonderful publication on Empress Anne Jrent, the illegitimate yet beloved daughter of Emperor Charles," said a Salvian enjoyer of outlander history known as Sir Daris Verethi, delivering this well-known historical fact to his fellow crewmates of the Task Force along with the missive, in between rounds of Waldenian dice poker.

 

 

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The bane of the ISA waits for the final post to be mentioned
(These posts are actually insanely written)

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"There is no Josephite mafia." George Galbraith remarks to Franz de Sarkozy, cracking open a cold beer on their Sutican beach house.

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